


A thousand chances

by KonElDanvers



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Army, Disabled Character, Emma is a soldier, Emmet is a soldier, F/M, FTM, Trans Character, Trans Emma, Well - Freeform, swanqueen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:42:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27062866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KonElDanvers/pseuds/KonElDanvers
Summary: No soldier outlives a thousand chanced to die, and yet he had.And after all this time, it brought him back to his family.And after all the pain, just sleeping next to her, was what made it all worth it,Or, Emma enlisted in the army after having Henry and after being called back to duty, she leaves for a few years. In this time Emma becomes Emmet and now has to figure out how to get back into his sons life while no one knows who he he used to be.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan, Prince Charming | David Nolan/Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard
Comments: 7
Kudos: 45





	1. Chapter 1

Emmet had tried to get as far away from Storybrook as possible. He had left three years ago after being called back into the army. When the blond had just left prison, becoming the army was an easy way to make money and to get a clean record. Of course, back than it had been Emma and even when he had been called back, it had still been Emma.   
When he had told his parents, Regina and Henry that he would leave, they didn`t even ask why. Snow White had just started screaming: “You are trying to run away? You can`t go! You`ve got to save us!” 

In that moment, Emmet realized that that had been what he meant to them. He was the savior. Born to free them from the curse but never to be just himself. 

Henry, who had been twelve at the time, had started screaming too. That if he left, he would never forgive Emmet. Charming and Regina had stood aside, watching, trying to calm the two shouting figures.   
But in the end, Emmet decided it was best to leave without saying goodbye. No good in risking them screaming more. It had been made clear that they wouldn`t want him back, no matter what he said.

He got to his base, trained for two months and then got send on his first mission. It was supposed to be only three months but those quickly turned into five. In that time, Emmet had been giving a lot of time to reflect his life. And slowly he came to the realization that he wasn`t Emma. That he had never been supposed to be Emma. 

That was what Peter Pan had meant, that he was one of the lost boys. 

After getting back to America, he quickly got himself a therapist to get him started on hormones. Changing his name and gender on legal paper had probably been the hardest part since the man doing it refused to before he had his vasectomy. In the end, it all worked out. Emmet had enlisted again and was now a full on soldier, making it to sergeant. 

But after three years, the luck he had on the field was all used and an exploding grenade destroyed the dream of continuing to rise through the ranks. Lying in the hospital bed, bandages covering burn marks on sixty percent of his body, he felt like everything had been lost. 

Crawling back into life, was the hardest thing he ever had to do. Learning how to walk on a prosthetic leg after the left one had been too damaged as if keeping it would do him any favors. 

The burns were everywhere. The left side on his body was covered completely in scars. Luckily, the surgeon had managed to save his fingers and the knee. Emmet`s face was another struggle. 

While the right side looked like the one of a handsome man, the left side had scars all over it. The doctors had done a great job and from a distant it was hard to tell but if someone stepped closer, they were still clearly visible. The almost see through iris of his left eye didn`t make it better. 

So yeah, getting back any quality of life was hard. But he made it. And after six months of being in the hospital and getting him a dog (with the reasoning that that would help him on both mental and physical aspects), they let the man go. 

But where to go? Most people in his troop had died because of the grenade. The ones that did survive were partially in a worse place than the blond and bothering the government with it wasn`t in his agenda. 

After checking social media, and out of accident, finding Henrys profile on Instagram, Emmet suddenly was eager to get back to Storybrook. His son was fifteen. He was almost grown up. Regina was smiling next to him in some of the pictures and even Snow White had managed to sneak into the photographs. The blond was sure that they wouldn`t want to see him. 

He had left three years ago without a goodbye. 

Even though at the time he had though that that was the best solution, the sting of regret was an eager opponent. And how would they react if instead of Emma, Emmet would be standing in front of them. In his current state they would be mortified. Maybe it would be enough just to be close. Just to be in town. Even if he would be watching Henry from afar, he would still get to see him.   
The boy didn`t even need to know who Emmet really was. Storybrook was dangerous and that way he could protect his son. 

Eager to get back, Emmet looked if Storybrook had any jobs available, and indeed. The school was in need of a history teacher. Since everyone in town was a fairytale character, the history of the real world wasn`t their strong suit. Luckily, Emmet had while joining the army all those years taken advantage of the system and graduated in criminology, art and history. For the first time that would come in handy. 

Two days after applying for the job under a fake last name, he received an E-Mail.   
“Dear Mister Stark,  
we were very pleased to hear that you have taken interest in being a teacher on Storybrook High.  
Your resume was a joy to read and everything considered, you are a very good candidate.   
But before hiering you, a job interview would be appropriate. Message the secretary when you managed to get into town and then we will see.  
Greetings,  
Regina Mills”

Regina? Why was she messaging him? She was the major. But on the other hand even after all those years, most people in town were probably still set on the idea of getting back to the dark forest and refused to learn how to use a laptop. Regina had always been better at that than most.

Emmet stared at the website he had opened. A flight to Maine was booked. In a few days he would be back in Storybrook. And they wouldn`t even know.   
He petted the golden retriever “Cookie” who had his head in the blonds lap.   
“That`ll be fun.”, The blond whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

Emmet had just arrived in Storybrook and was loading some of his stuff out of his car. The yellow buck had been exchanged for a save Benz. The lessons Regina had given him all this time ago appearently had stuck with the blond.   
He was standing right outside Granny`s. It looked like it always had. The simple, yet somehow homey decorations. The lights that were shining outside saying “Granny`s Diner”. It felt like coming home. 

Emmet was holding his suitcase in hand, his face covered by the shadows of a baseball hat. He went inside, trying not to show just how bad his limp was. Cookie always on the soldiers side. On the counter, stood Granny herself. A plate of burgers in one hand, her glasses in the other one. The old woman catched his gaze and gave the man a tired smile. “Ruby, we have guest.”, she said loudly, trying to get the younger woman`s attention away from Alice, whom she was flirting with.   
The brunette nodded, gave the other girl a cheeky smile and turned around. Emmet knew that Ruby had noticed something. 

Her gaze immediately fell onto the blonds face. Studying it. But if there was one thing that was good about the bad scaring, it was that the features of Emma were not recognizable anymore. Emmet was a bit worry that Ruby would be able to smell that it was him. Werewolf sense and all but after a few seconds of confusion, the young woman seemed to have decided that it must have been coincidence. She walked towards him, a professional smile on her lips. “Hello, what can I do for you?”

Emmet smiled back, stretching out his hand. “Emmet Stark. I was wondering if you guys had a free room. I`m kind of here for a job interview and until I know anything for sure, it would be best if I stayed in town.” The brunette nodded. “Of course. And if I might say that, in this town, every new face is welcome. We have little to no new people here so you`ll surely get the job.” 

The werewolf leaned down and scratched the golden retriever behind his ears. “And who could this be?”  
Emmet grinned. “That`s Cookie and that little guy is the best boy!”

Ruby continued to pat him. “I`m sure that he is. Look at him, nice eyes and great fur. You`ve got to keep him away from Deville.”  
Emmet was fairly sure that the waitress hadn`t even noticed her mistake. But he didn`t bother bringing any attention to it. “So, can I room? My legs are kind of killing me.” Ruby looked down. Surely she noticed his prosthesis because she raised one eyebrow. Emmet blushed. 

“I`ve been driving for quite some time and well, that ol` thing isn`t getting any better.” The werewolf nodded and went of to get him a key from the wall.   
“This-“, she said, holding it out to him. “-Is one of our best rooms. Great view on the market. Not that there`s much to see in this town. But it`s just down there.” She pointed around the corner. "You don`t even have to take the stairs.” Emmet let out an relieved sigh. Stairs were still a no go. 

He went to the guestroom and set the luggage down on the bed, than sat down right next to it. Cookie came close to rest his head on the blonds lap. “How do you think that`s going to go?” the soldier asked. The dog didn`t answered, instead demanded to be patted. Emmet smiled. “At least you`re having fun.”

Twenty minutes later Emmet went back in the diner, Cookie still at his side. Having showered and changed clothes, he felt like a new man. The clock above the counter said that it was around noon. So the blond sat down at a table in the corner and started looking through the menu. What would he take? And had they changed anything?   
In the end, the answer was no. It was still the same menu. And while Regina was surely complaining about the many unhealthy options, it was a relief. It was the same. It hadn`t changed. Another thing to hold onto. 

Emmet ordered a bearclaw, and while sipping on his coke and reading the newspaper, the door to the diner opened. The minute the new people got in, the blond froze. His back was turned to the door so he couldn`t see them but that laugh. That low, raspy laugh. He could never forget it. Regina.   
He turned. Just enough so he could see her out of the corner of his eye. 

Regina looked good. Her hair shorter and in curls, dark lipstick and one of her characteristic dresses. When he looked at the person next to her, Emmet`s heart almost stopped. Henry. He had grown. He now surely was taller than Regina. If he would be taller than Emmet? Probably. The blond had been tall for a woman but for a man? Low average. The boy had gotten a haircut. Instead of his bowl cut, it was gelled up front. His face was sharper, a lot sharper and if Emmet listen closely, he could hear the dropping voice of a teenage boy who still had those little voice cracks. Emmet could tell, he had them not that long ago. 

The pair of mother and son sat down, greeted by Ruby they got their food. It must have been their usual because his meal had taken some time. In front of Henry sat a plate of fries with a burger. Regina had gotten a salad. But to Emmet`s surprise, also a milkshake. So Henry had done the unthinkable. He had gotten his mother to eat unhealthy stuff. The blond grinned. He couldn`t be prouder of his son for that. 

The soldier had completely forgotten to eat when suddenly Cookie jumped up on the chair to get a bite of his food. Emmet reacted as quickly as he could and pushed the plate away. With a stern gaze he looked down at the dog, who was looking up at him with his brown, oh so loyal eyes. “We talked about that Cookie! No stealing food!” The dog covered his eyes with one paw, trying to seem innocent. But the blond knew better. 

“Don`t play the `I`m a good boy` card. You can´t do that and that`s final!” 

A small whine came from the pet and it seemed to draw Henry`s attention. The teenager was staring at the retriever, his eyes wide, mouth curled into a smile. Without consulting Regina, he got up and walked over. A question in his brown eyes. Emmet nodded. Knowing that this was his child, almost breaking his heart. The teenager started patting the dog, getting playful growls out of him. Regina had gotten up to and was watching her son interacting with the pet. 

Emmet gave her a smile. The mayor smiled back- so something had changed while the blond had been gone- and shook his hand. 

“Regina Mills.”, she said. 

The soldier bowed his head, hoping to hide the scars just a bit. Just so she wouldn`t flinch when she saw it. That`s what people always did. They flinched. They stared. They pitied him. Nothing he wanted. The blond had served his country. He was proud. The sacrifice he made didn`t deserve pitiful glances. 

“Emmet Stark.” The name got a recognizing look.   
“so you`re the one that wants the teacher position.”  
He nodded. “Yes Ma`am.”

Instead of the judging look he would have gotten five years ago, Regina simply smiled.  
“And that`s your dog?”  
He nodded again. “That`s cookie. Called after one of my favourite things.”  
Henry laughed. “Hi Cookie.”, he said while ruffling his fur. “You`re a good boy. Yeah, you`re a good boy!”

Emmet laughed at the picture. He had done the same thing when he had first met the Retriever. Just cuddle the dog for two hours. “You really gave him something.”, Regina said and sighed. Emmet curiously tilted his head, still making sure that the cap was in place. “Henry always wanted a dog and trust me, this will make him start begging again.” She stared at the golden fur ball. “I just managed to get him to stop.”

Emmet couldn`t help but to grin. “I apologize. But I must say, Cookie seems to enjoy your son`s presence and who am I to make my dog unhappy?”  
Regina shook her head, her lips curled up to a small smile. “I can tell already.”  
“What?”  
“That you will be an unbelievable plague, Mister Stark.”

Emmet grinned. Annoying Regina? Always worth it.


End file.
